Themes Of The Monkey's Paw

Fate vs. Freewill

Mr. White, the protagonist of "The Monkey's Paw," struggles to accept his fate in life. However, when an associate gives him a magical dried monkey's paw, which supposedly has the power to grant three wishes, Mr. White believes that he tin can finally exert his volition on the world in a quick and issue-free manner. When he tries to do this past wishing for money, though, his wish goes amiss: the money comes as…

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The Uncertainty of Reality

The seemingly-supernatural events of "The Monkey's Paw" cause both the characters and the reader to question the nature of reality. While those who wish on the monkey'southward paw seem to have their wishes supernaturally granted, so seem to be supernaturally punished for their hubris, nobody knows for sure whether the wish fulfillments and their consequences are supernatural or simple coincidence. After all, Morris's stories about the mitt's powers could only exist fanciful tales…

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Within vs. Exterior

From the storm that rages exterior the family's home in the beginning of the story, to the supposedly cursed object Morris brings back from his travels abroad, to the knocking at the door (potentially by a reanimated corpse), all of the story'south unsafe elements come up from outside to menace the safety of the domicile. As such, "The Monkey's Hand" tin can exist read as an allegory of British anxiety over their changing homeland, specially addressing the…

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Industrialization

During Jacobs' lifetime, Britain underwent rapid industrialization. Jacobs shows the harms caused by industrialization in Herbert'southward decease through a machinery accident and the visitor representative's cold response to the Whites. With this tragedy, Jacobs grounds the horrors of "The Monkey's Paw" in the real life social issues surrounding industrialization, such every bit unsafe working conditions and worker exploitation.

Herbert goes to work in a factory every day, like many young people in Britain during…

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